


Accidental

by darkesky



Series: Beginnings of Heroes [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Alternate Universe - My Unit | Reflet | Robin Raised in Plegia, F/F, F/M, Multi, Polyamory, Pre-Canon, Pre-OT3, Shepherds - Freeform, Team as Family, Unplanned Pregnancy, original timeline
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-11
Updated: 2019-05-11
Packaged: 2020-02-25 23:00:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18711439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkesky/pseuds/darkesky
Summary: Daggers seemed to hammer into temples, and when he tried to stretch, the light from outside the tent struck his face. As he moved, his leg brushed up against something warm. That was all he needed to have his eyes shoot open.He made eye contact with Olivia as she cowered under his blankets. Her pink hair laid in a mess of knots and tangles on her shoulders, mussed by sleep and his own hands. Her eyes were wider than he thought anyone’s could ever go, and her mouth moved soundlessly. Her whole body seemed to tremble, but she also seemed to wince a little from soreness…Oh, shit.---An explanation of Chrom and Olivia's whirlwind romance... In the original timeline where the war lasted much longer





	Accidental

**Author's Note:**

> I consistently marry Chrom and Olivia on literally all of my playthroughs so I thought... What if I just married both of them in this fic?? Besides, I really love Chrom!Inigo and Robin!Lucina, and this is the most convenient way to combine them. 
> 
> If you've read my other FE fics, you know it's usually from a male Robin timeline (bc I love siblings, tbh. that's literally it. Female Robin can only get two siblings, but Male Robin gets two SETS of siblings), but I'm writing them as different people.
> 
> Robin: Male, Tony Stark-esque  
> Robyn: Female, Peter Quill-esque  
> (yeah I've watched too much Marvel)

The war beat on at a relentless pace. No matter which life it stole, it offered no time to mourn. In the same week his sister fell to the assassin’s magic, he gained a lifelong limp and the title of Exalt. Everything in life careened towards an inevitable end, and Chrom didn’t know how to get the world to slow down, if only for a second. 

The Shepherds needed a break more than he did. Even as they marched along after the most recent battle, they didn’t celebrate. They simply stumbled onwards, weariness dragging down their shoulders and grief clear in the way they shuffled their feet. He couldn’t begin to raise morale. His own sister, Lissa, kept herself tucked beside Gaius and cried openly to him. Whenever he tried to speak with her, she shook her head minisculely. She didn’t long for Chrom in this moment… She wanted their sister, and that was a reality impossible to achieve.

Suddenly, Robyn placed a hand on his shoulder. When he glanced at her, he took a few seconds to take in her ragged appearance. Blood smeared onto her upper lip, probably from overexertion with magic, and she dripped with the rain and sweat alike. 

“Do you need to take a break?” she whispered, voice pointedly low. “I’m sure you can ride with Frederick if need be.”

“I’m fine.” The words came off curtly, and Robyn wrinkled her nose ever so slightly.

Then, she sighed, and her shoulders slumped. “You always are. Basilio said he could smuggle us into Plegia tonight, but… I think we need to wait for a better time.”

“There’s never going to be a better time,” he argued. Both of them spoke in low, hushed tones. For the first time, the Shepherds started to become aware. Vaike winked, obnoxious as ever, and Virion smirked widely. Great. They just naturally assumed they flirted rather than speaking of tactics. 

Robyn raised an eyebrow. “We’re marching in the downpour right now. We’ve been at war for a year and a half  _ already.  _ In the past three days, we’ve had four battles. Tell me we don’t deserve a break.”

“The break can be the carriage ride into Plegia.” Chrom started to walk, or rather limp, at a brisker pace. 

Something lit up in Robyn’s face. She usually hated when people doubted her tactics. She was a genius, and he had yet to meet anyone to even rival it. “You don’t need a break then? Prove it.”

“Excuse you?”

“I challenge you, my  _ great  _ Exalt, to a race!” She dipped into a low bow, the tips of her white pigtails scraping the muddied ground. He doubted she even noticed. When she straightened, a shit-eating smirk was clearly written across her face and a fire was ignited in her eyes.

He stared at her. “Are you serious?”

“Dead serious.” She nodded solemnly.

From behind them, he heard the familiar beating of hooves. When he glanced over his shoulder, he noted Frederick suddenly gaining on them. “This isn’t a fair challenge, Lady Robyn. You have a clear advantage.”

“Racing is unbecoming of a lady,” Maribelle added from atop her steed. She looked over Robyn’s appearance, and she shook her head. “Though, apparently, you hardly care for keeping up that appearance as is.”

“Sword fight then.” Robyn’s hand drifted to the hilt of her sword bouncing against her leg. 

Chrom rolled his eyes. “Thought you prefered magic.”

_ “That  _ is how confident I am that I’ll win this. C’mon. Now or never!” She bounced on her heels, eyes bright. Somehow, she suddenly burst back into life despite the weariness dragging down around them. 

Despite himself, a smile started to pull at his lips. “Is that so?”

“Come on.” She paused. “Are you a chicken?”

“Robyn, please-”

“Bu-bawk!” She released the hilt for a brief moment to pretend she had wings, and Robyn dramatically flapped her arms. Chrom reached out and gently smacked down her arms. She pouted before waiting. 

He sighed. “Fine, we won’t go wage war on Gangrel tomorrow morning. He’ll still be an unfair and unjust king in a few days.”

“Good.” Robyn smiled slightly. When people stopped gazing upon the pair of them, she slid closer to him and gently reached for his hand. He hesitated for a few moments, glancing about the surrounding Shepherds.

She didn’t share similar qualms. Gently, her head gently fell upon his shoulder. “Are we doing the right thing? Mustafa was… Well, he was a good man back when I lived in Plegia. To just cut him down so callously…”

“He’s Plegian,” Chrom muttered under his breath.

He can feel her stiffen from where she rested. Then, she picked up her head and put a slight distance between them. “I don’t think it’s that cut and dry. Just because he was Plegian doesn’t mean he’s a bad guy.”

“Why are you trying to defend him? Robyn, they  _ killed  _ Emm.” His voice broke slightly, but he quickly willed away the tears. They only discussed it once before. Robyn still felt some kind of bond to her home country, and she couldn’t throw it away as easily as he would have wanted. The  _ only  _ other Plegian in their army, Tharja, made it clear her loyalty was to Robyn, not Plegia anymore. 

She shook her head, and their hands slipped free of another. If he was asked later, he’d blame the slickness of the rain. “We don’t know the assassin was Plegian.”

“What other country produces…”

“Produces what? Murderers? Gaius would have killed your sister, and he’s from Ylisse!” Robyn paused, huffing. Then, she forced a light laugh. “But, y’know, it must be the blood thing! Oh, wow, I think Lissa is calling me.”

“Robyn-”

“No, really! I can hear it. Yep, better get going.” Robyn spun on her heel and cheerfully strutted over to Lissa. If he watched, though, he could have sworn she reached up to wipe angry tears off her face.

He would worry about that later. Right now, he could hear the familiar rumbling of a caravan of wagons. Pausing, Chrom threw up his hand to symbolize the end of the march. Their ticket into Plegia arrived… Maybe their ticket to  _ finally  _ ending this goddamn war and killing the bastard sitting atop Plegia’s throne. 

When he squinted, he could make out the outlines. These must be stolen traveling performers. The exteriors of the wagons held drooping beads and golden chains from where the rain beat down upon them. They weren’t meant for too hard of travel, evident by the constant squealing of the wheels through the mud. 

A cloaked figure leapt down from the back of one, landing gracefully amongst the mud. In the dim lighting of the stars and moons, he made out the wisps of long, pink hair. When she spoke, her voice rang out, surprisingly melodious. “Khan Basilio!”

From the back of the army, he could hear the beginnings of the Khan’s booming laugh. He forced his way through the Shepherds’ meager army. “Olivia! I wasn’t sure if you were still waiting for us. I told you to expect us a  _ lot  _ earlier.”

“I assumed… I assumed the worst.” Her voice went quiet, and when she looked up, he could see the gleam of tears in her eyes. She blinked, and they spilled over her thick eyelashes. Basilio stomped up and threw an affectionate arm around her slight shoulders. While originally astonished by the action, he could see her relaxing at the familiar presence. 

Then, Basilio clapped his hands together. “It’s time we meet our destiny! Get in!”

-

Robyn never bothered to feign stupidity. Sometimes, she could giggle ever so slightly and pass off as ignorant. Most of the time, though, everyone knew of her wit. Why Chrom didn’t think she pieced together the pieces of the pieces was beyond her. Then again, maybe that was more ignorance on his part. She doubted he wanted to acknowledge the barrier between them. 

Everything about her  _ screamed  _ Plegian. Many mages in the army possessed the same white hair she had. Sometimes, she considered dying it to another color, but in the end, what goal would that achieve? She bound it into twin ponytails and left it at that. She had the dark skin Aversa and Tharja had, the coloring each person hailing from Plegian possessed. Even her favored coat bore Plegian markings. 

The Exalt of a country at  _ war  _ with Plegia couldn’t take a Plegian bride. One didn’t even need training in tactics to see that simple truth. 

She let her head fall back against the carriage’s wall, gently kneading at the sore muscles in her calf. Of course, she knew better than to limp and go whining to Lissa. Any leg injury reminded them Chrom still hadn’t recovered from the assassination attempt. They  _ all  _ remembered the healers saying he never would. If it came down to it, she intended to lie and say the adrenaline stopped her from noticing the wound. 

When her eyes slipped shut, she could hear someone whispering to themselves. It was barely noticeable above Basilio and Lon’qu’s heavy one-sided conversation. Robyn opened one eye and glanced at the new addition to their group. She still didn’t know whether the woman intended to join them on the battlefield though. “What are you doing?”

Olivia  _ screamed. _

Robyn immediately straightened at the shrill noise, and, following through on her natural instincts, her hand lunged to the tome tucked loyally by her side. All eyes in the carriage were on her now. Basilio cut off in the middle of his sentence to break down in raucous laughter. Lon’qu just looked disgusted and seemed to inch away from them. 

She immediately threw up her hands in a mock-surrender. “Hey, hey! I didn’t mean to startle you. I just… I’m curious. I’m a curious person.”

“No, no, it’s fine! I’m overreacting!” Olivia fell to her knees on the floor of the carriage, and she began scrambling about in the dark. Her lithe fingers searched the wooden floors for… For  _ something.  _ Robyn squinted and made out the outline of a velvet pouch. She reached out and snagged it before tossing it over to Olivia.

She squeaked and barely managed to catch it. In the air, it made a light, musical noise. Her wrist bracelets made the same as she snatched it.

Robyn paused, a slow smile starting to spread across her face. “Oh,  _ wow.  _ I didn’t expect you’d have a secret stash!”

“‘Secret stash’?” Olivia giggled, but she averted her gaze, obviously uncomfortable. One hand wandered up to her hair and twirled one of the strands about her index finger. Robyn mentally noted that as one of her nervous ticks. She usually tried to keep track of that for her army. 

Basilio cleared his throat. “Calm, girl! It’s not an accusation! Robyn’s just trying to make conversation… Rather poorly, but conversation nonetheless.”

“Hey!” Robyn protested weakly, but she couldn’t stop her smile.

“Oh! Then, I… Well, it’s just money I’ve been saving out of my wages. I… I thank you, Basilio, for giving me the chance to save up some coins for…” Her voice trailed off, and Olivia’s eyes flit up to meet hers.

The tactician shrugged. “Hey, I’m not here to judge whatever you’re saving for. It’s kinda impressive, if I’m being honest. It takes some real dedication to save on a soldier’s pay. Naga knows I spend every last coin the second I get them.”

“Thought you were meant to be a tactician!” boomed Basilio, riding another chuckle. “Shouldn’t you be able to map out your finances better?”

“See, I would, but look at my boots.” Robyn wiggled her toes within her shoes even though they couldn’t make them out. She just bought a new pair since she didn’t want to strut around barefoot or with her toes hanging out. “These are fit for  _ royalty,  _ I’m just saying. I’d rather kiss my own boots than Chrom’s.”

“You’ve got it bad for him,” the man countered.

She shrugged. “What can I say? He’s rather impressive.” 

“You’re impressive too!” Olivia blurted. Then, she froze and slammed her hands over her mouth to stop any more words coming out. It didn’t stop Robyn from practically  _ glowing.  _ Usually, in comparison to Chrom, nobody even batted an eye at her. She couldn’t even begin to compete with him. 

Robyn cleared her throat, trying to stop herself from preening like a peacock. “Aw, shucks. But really, I’m nothing impressive.”

“You’re from Plegia,” interrupted Lon’qu for the first time in the conversation. Her eyes shot to him, but he bowed his head to avoid her eye contact. Then, he returned to staring out the window. “It’s impressive you didn’t follow your country blindly into battle. It’s rare to find someone willing to fight on the opposing side of their family.”

“Well then, guess I am pretty damn impressive.” Robyn shifted where she sat to make eye contact with Basilio. If Lon’qu absolutely refused to gaze upon her, she’d have to settle for second best. She winked at him and then she paused. “I have a question.”

“I have no doubt it’s something stupid.”

“Let’s be honest. Everything I say is stupid. It’s just that nobody can come up with a better plan.” She shrugged slightly. Neither Lon’qu nor Basilio made an effort to try to correct her statement.

Olivia shook her head, ever so slightly. “I think you’re really good at what you do.”

“Thanks. Anyway, Basilio, can you wink? Or do you just consider it blinking?” Robyn offered her best shit-eating grin. Olivia’s jaw dropped ever so slightly, and it was clear that she didn’t expect a question of  _ that  _ magnitude.

Basilio pointedly ignored her question. “Olivia, this is one of the leaders of the Shepherds. Like what you see?”

“Are you handing over both of your retainers to us? It’d be nice to get someone  _ not  _ from Ylisse on our side.” Lon’qu, after a lot of prodding, hailed from Chon’sin, evident by his upturned eyes and lightly browned skin. Gregor, and now Olivia, came from Regna Ferox with their dark brown skin and thick hair. Tharja and Robyn took bronzed skin, and Robyn had the usual white hue in her long hair. Beyond that, they all mostly hailed from Ylisse, and while she adored all of them, they judged her home significantly harder.

Basilio shrugged. “If you impress her. I’m not asking about the whole winking-blinking mechanism works well.”

“I can battle real well. I can lead real well. I can cast magic real well.” Robyn paused, dramatically starting to tick off her skills on her fingers. She glanced over at Olivia and grinned widely. “I can matchmake real well.”

Olivia immediately flushed pink and buried her face in her hands. 

The Khan gave her a curious look. “Tell me more about  _ that.” _

“I’m just saying… Some of my tactics rely on battle skills, yes, but I care a lot about  _ chemistry.  _ It’s not a coincidence that Stahl and Sully keep getting paired up.” There were several other couples she subtly pulled at the strings of, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to confess that  _ here…  _ Especially since one of them definitely involved Lon’qu who was sitting  _ right there. _

The man cackled. “I think I’ve been underestimating you as a tactician.”

“You’re damn right. What can I say? I-”

Whatever Robyn was about to say got drowned out as the carriage suddenly hit a bump in the road. The whole carriage seemed to tremble, and she made out the twinkling of Olivia’s bracelet. Then, the coin purse gripped loosely in Olivia’s hands went flying through the air. Immediately, a  _ shower  _ of golden coins slammed into the wood and made soft sounds of protest. One hit Robyn’s brand new boots. 

Olivia squeaked. “Why do coins have to be so darn round?”

-

Back in Regna Ferox, back in her  _ home,  _ Olivia could see just how beaten down the Shepherds had become. She heard stories about them from both Flavia and Basilio. This fearless, ragtag team was supposed to be able to weather any storm and come out for the better. Yet, staring at them… A group of people barely older than  _ teenagers…  _ Her heart went out to each and every one of them.

Olivia sat at Lon’qu’s feet, careful not to touch him in any way, shape, or form. Basilio and Flavia both sat close as well, shoulders slumped and an escalating argument beginning to thrive. They never learned the art of being quiet and calm… And she couldn’t exactly blame them for that. If Olivia could be louder, she thinks she’d do almost anything  _ to  _ become more boisterous.

Across from them, Chrom spoke in low tones with Robyn, Lissa, and Frederick. Every once and awhile, Lissa rose to her feet and walked away sobbing. She always returned to their group huddle though. 

They acted as if they already lost. 

Olivia’s small, flowering desire to be a Shepherd got nipped at the bud. She really thought she could dance for them, enliven them. Actually, if she got to her feet, she could do exactly that. Maybe… Her dances were meant to inspire the troops, and she could definitely attempt it to lighten the mood.

Before she got to her feet, Robyn leapt to hers. “We didn’t  _ fail.” _

“Robyn, please,” Chrom muttered. He ran a hand through his hair and glanced up at the sky. “You didn’t fail anything, but I certainly did. If I hadn’t let the assassin claim Emm’s life back at the capital… If I hadn’t injured  _ myself  _ in that battle. Gods, I’m just so powerless now! I used to be strong… But I let them steal the Fire Emblem.”

“We didn’t  _ fail,”  _ Robyn insisted again.

The Exalt only sighed. “Robyn.”

“We just  _ won  _ that battle with Mustafa! Isn’t that impressive? I mean, maybe it’s not  _ ‘save-the-fate-of-the-world’  _ impressive, but it’s pretty impressive. Since when did  _ winning a battle  _ equate to failure?” She whipped around, her white pigtails chasing her all the while. This time, she fixed her gaze on someone who sat near them. “Cordelia, you are the  _ finest  _ Pegasus Knight, are you not? Are you not the Pegasus Knight Commander now?”

“It doesn’t exactly work like that,” the red-haired woman started.

She rolled her eyes. “It does. You’re in charge of Sumia, aren’t you? Look at that! We have two hot-shots on our team. We have the Pegasus Knight Commander and the Exalt. We have  _ both  _ Khans of Regna Ferox on our side! We have a priest, multiple mercenaries, and a  _ dragon.  _ We are impressive! We  _ will continue  _ to be impressive!”

“I’m not that great of an Exalt,” Chrom said.

The Pegasus Knight Commander nodded ever so slightly. “My pegasus knights are just Sumia. That’s not impressive.”

“Naga isn’t listening to my prayers,” said a long-haired, blonde… Woman?

The smallest, the youngest girl sighed. “I’m not a big manakete!”

“Okay,  _ fine,  _ we can all keep whining. I’m not going to stop us. I like whining and pouting too. But, at some point, you have to  _ suck it up.  _ Chrom, I know we’re not half the woman your sister is.” Robyn paused. “Well, I guess you’re not a woman at all. So, I’m holding up  _ my  _ end of the bargain.”

“Is there a point to this?” asked a taguel. 

The tactician nodded fervently. “Sorry, yes, got distracted. We’re not half the  _ person  _ your sister was. But together… I bet we can get close. No, actually, I bet we can be  _ more.  _ If you fall, I’ll pull you back up. When you fight for your sister and her ideals of peace, I’ll be by your side. You don’t have to be Emmeryn to be impressive. You can still be… Chrom. And Chrom is good enough for us.”

“It might be good enough for you, but my country is at war. Robyn, I can just end up dragging us all down,” Chrom murmured. He dropped his voice, and Olivia felt like she was witnessing a private moment between the two. Their reputation preceded both of them, and in a way, Olivia couldn’t help but feel their power starting to revive her own. Just being  _ around  _ them made her stronger… Or at least, feel stronger.

The manakete suddenly cleared her throat, lifting her head. “I wouldn’t be here if not for you. If we’re going down, I’m going down spitting fire!”

“You gave me your trust, and now you have mine… For the time being,” commented the Plegian sorceress dly, leaning back against the wall. She blew on her nails as if to show just how bored she was over this particular conversation. 

Lon’qu cleared his throat. “Were you unworthy, I would have left long ago to return back home. Yet, even though we are home right now, I have no desire to stay here while your country fights a war.”

“It took great courage and charisma to unite all of us.” Virion paused and threw a wink at  _ one  _ of them. Robyn pretended to catch it while Chrom scowled and looked away. Olivia stifled a giggle. “I knew I possessed such talents, but clearly you do as well!”

“Yeah!” a red-haired child declared abruptly. He climbed to his feet and positively beamed. Then, he placed his hands over his heart. “We  _ all  _ look up to you, Chrom! You’re like a hero to us! To… To  _ me.” _

“Thank you, everyone.” Chrom stood up, and Olivia could see tears on the brink of spilling. He paused and ducked his head. All of the Shepherds waited with bated breath, waiting for him to speak again. They gave him time to collect his thoughts. Olivia couldn’t help but be impressed at the way Chrom commanded his troops. “Your words mean more than you could know. My Shepherds… My  _ warriors.  _ There is work to be done. Gangrel must be stopped so that peace can once again reign in Ylisse. Will you-”

“Yes!” The young princess immediately got to her feet. She frantically scrubbed her cheeks of the tears. “One hundred percent! All I’ve done lately is cry and cry  _ and cry.  _ It’s time to start punching stuff!”

“Hear, hear, darling!” A noblewoman donned in pink clapped her hands together. “Our people have suffered enough.”

Two cavaliers sat together and immediately made their voices heard. “Gladly would I fight and die for House Ylisse!” “Gladly would I fight and  _ kill  _ those dastards for House Ylisse!”

“Our hearts echo yours, sire,” the blond…  _ priest  _ said.

The other pegasus knight, the one  _ not  _ in charge, stared at him with something unidentifiable in her eyes. “I will be the unbreakable shield by your side.”

A bare-chested man pounded on his chest. “Teach is here, and class is in session!”

“How much you pay Gregor?” a mercenary asked. A silence fell upon the group as everyone turned to stare at him, unimpressed and stunned. He awkwardly laughed. “Gregor make joke! Why you look at Gregor like that?”

“Your sister earned my respect,” the taguel started. “The last taguel shall champion her.”

Frederick, Chrom’s personal retainer, glanced up at Chrom. “You have grown strong, milord. I may have set a poor example as a knight… But I swear to you, I shall die before any more exalted blood is spilled!”

Chrom stared at all of them with all their overwhelming support. This time, a tear  _ did  _ spill down his cheek. Olivia wanted to get up and wipe away the tear, tell him it’d all be okay. Then, her cheeks flushed at the very idea of performing that particular act. “The Mad King  _ will  _ be stopped!”

“The whole of the Feroxi army is yours to send crashing against him!” roared Flavia. 

Before anyone else could speak, Olivia sprung to her feet. “I’d like to go too, if I may!”

-

They got their asses handed to them, so Chrom bought enough booze to heal  _ any  _ injury they sustained in this particular battle. This impromptu drinking session was meant to be a  _ celebration.  _ Instead, it turned into a funeral. None of the Shepherds died, thank Naga. Others did. 

He supposed, in a way, they were all equals. Nobody got their ass thoroughly kicked. Plegian forces lost people just as much as Feroxi and Ylissean, but somehow, they still ended up with the disadvantage. Hell, the Mad King wasn’t even there. How was he supposed to find him? All of their spies reported that Gangrel  _ was there.  _ And yet, the only royalty sticking his neck out on the line was Chrom. Even Basilio and Flavia hung back. 

“I’m bringing the small ones home,” Robyn mumbled to him, eyes trained on Ricken, Nowi, Donnel, and Lissa. 

He nodded. “Don’t do anything reckless.”

“Please. When have I ever?” Her smile was tired, and it didn’t make it close to her eyes. She got up all the same and practically dragged the four away. He wouldn’t be surprised if she put them to bed as well… Though he had a feeling she simply didn’t feel like drinking away her sorrows on this particular night. She probably would retire to her tent and write tactics out for the next battle.

He laughed into his drink. Maybe then, they’d  _ win.  _

“I don’t think Robyn’s tactics are what lost the day…” A soft voice started behind him. He immediately looked over his shoulder to make eye contact with whoever disagreed. 

Olivia’s cheeks flooded red, but they were already pinkish from the drink she clutched in her trembling hands. She closed her eyes and clenched her fists, trying to gather up the same courage she had when she originally spoke to Chrom.

Chrom straightened. “I know it appears harsh. I didn’t mean that she… We just suffered a momentous loss. Robyn is one of the greatest tacticians I’ve ever met.”

“So you don’t believe that she… She doomed the day?” Olivia slowly climbed on the seat beside Chrom. 

He gave her a curious look. “You like Robyn, don’t you?”

“I-” Olivia choked on whatever phrase she was about to say. She buried her face into her palms and shook her head frantically. However, that reaction was Chrom needed to confirm. He knew what it was like when someone fancied the tactician. After all, he certainly loved her with all of his heart. 

He patted her on the shoulder. “It’s okay.”

“I’m sorry!” she squeaked. “I know you… I know you and her are a…”

“We’re not.” The second the words passed his lips, Chrom wondered if it was true. They held hands. She sometimes rested her head on his shoulders. Never, though, did they state themselves as any kind of official. He figured they had to have a proper conversation before they could be considered a couple of any kind. 

Besides, he was the  _ Exalt  _ now. Emmeryn never spoke of wanting to take any sort of spouse. One time, when boy-crazy Lissa questioned her about this, Emmeryn gave nothing more than a half-shrug. Chrom wondered if he could have been that composed. Then, he met Robyn and fell head over heels. Besides that, Frederick made it clear his habit of recruiting random strangers they came across wasn’t the healthiest of endeavours.

She froze. “R-really? But you seem so close.”

“We are two halves of the same whole. That doesn’t mean we’re romantically involved.” He offered a smile to her, but she still hadn’t looked up from her hands. He nodded to himself and turned back to the task at hand… Drinking himself stupid.

Olivia peeked up at him. “Do you… Do you want to be? I don’t want to get between you…”

“It’s hard to get between us. Do you want…” What’s the word he was reaching for? “Help?”

“Help?”

Chrom nodded. Leaning forward, he gently cupped Olivia’s face. She immediately looked like she was about to faint, but Olivia tightened her grip on the stool. Chrom smiled as endearingly as he can. “Is this fine?”

“Y-yes.”

Then, he leaned forward and gently captured her lips with his. Olivia stiffened for a few seconds, stunned and terrified. Right as Chrom was about to pull back, she reached up and entangled her nimble fingers into his hair. She pulled him closer and came alive with unbelievable passion. He smiled against her lips. 

A few seconds later, he pulled back. With a breathless whisper, he searched her face.  _ “That…  _ That is how Robyn likes to be kissed.”

“I see why,” Olivia murmured. There was a different sort of yearning in her eyes now. Maybe it was the alcohol coursing through both of their veins, maybe it was simply the devastation of their life goals crumbling down around them with the lost battle. Nonetheless, she didn’t want Robyn anymore.

She wanted  _ him. _

Chrom leaned forward and grabbed her hand. “How do  _ you  _ want to be kissed?”

“I’m a d-dancer.” Her eyes glowed with a light he wanted to capture. Fireflies in the night sky, and in his hand, he held a jar. “Nothing less than passion.”

“I can do passion.”

-

Someone gently called outside his tent. “Knock knock! Are you in, Chrom? I didn’t see you at the bar last night, so I assumed you turned in. I have some ideas for the next battle if you’re not too hungover.”

Chrom groaned. Daggers seemed to hammer into temples, and when he tried to stretch, the light from outside the tent struck his face. He immediately fell back into pillows and turned on his side, trying to hide. As he moved, his leg brushed up against something warm. That was all he needed to have his eyes shoot open.

He made eye contact with Olivia as she cowered under his blankets. Her pink hair laid in a mess of knots and tangles on her shoulders, mussed by sleep and his own hands. Her eyes were wider than he thought anyone’s could ever go, and her mouth moved soundlessly. Her whole  _ body  _ seemed to tremble, but she also seemed to wince a little from soreness…

Oh,  _ shit. _

“Did we have sex last night?” he whispered to Olivia.

She nodded, still soundless.

Slowly, Chrom lifted the blanket, and sure enough, they both laid bare. He can’t… He stared at her as if she held some sort of answer. What impulse overtook both of them last night? The frantic way losing ate at them? The way they both grieved for different reasons? Just the fact he couldn’t be with Robyn, and Olivia had never attempted to be with her? The fact he found her so beautiful last night, still found her that way today, and she only encouraged it by feeding her passion into the core of their relationship?

Olivia finally found her voice, no matter how small and weak it was. “Do you… Do you regret it?”

“I… I’m not sure,” he whispered back. He reached out to bridge the impossible divide between them. Her smaller hand curled into his, her fingers gently caressing all the callouses and scars in his palm.

Then, outside his tent, he got a grim reminder of what awaited him. “Chrom, are you up? You know what? I’m coming in. We’ve both seen each other naked, so what’s the worst that can happen?”

Diving beneath the blanket, Olivia hid from the impending threat. However, her wide eyes peeked out at him with a silent question. Why had the two of them seen each other naked? What did that mean for his character? Yet, Chrom knew she wouldn’t understand they just kept walking in on the washing rooms. 

He went to say something, but Robyn swung the flap to his tent open. She looked like she definitely went without sleep. Dark bags hung beneath her chocolate eyes, but the energy which always burned there kept itself blazing. For the first time in a long time, she went without her Plegian coat and just donned her plain tank top and black shorts opposed to her baggy pants. Her white hair hung loosely about her shoulders, nothing binding it back. 

He can only  _ imagine  _ what he looked like.

“Why weren’t you responding? Don’t answer that. I have bigger things to handle.” She excitedly thrust a binding of paper. When Chrom squinted, he could see the beginnings of a map. He stirred from the bed to see the papers better, and the sheets fell back slightly.

He paused. “Give me a chance to get decent first.”

“Why? Because you’re naked? I’ve known you to sleep in the nude before.” She smiled somewhat absently, stepping forward. He could see the very  _ second  _ she noted the other form in his bed. She paused, and her entire face crumbled for a quick second. Then, she started muttering ‘cool’ repeatedly under her breath. 

Chrom paused. “It’s not what you think.”

“So you’re just… Cuddling with… Olivia in that bed?” Robyn rocked forward on her heels to make out the other figure.

Olivia slowly sat up, using the sheets to cover up her body. “I’m… I’m  _ so sorry.” _

“Naked cuddling then? That’s what I was supposed to get from this? Naked,  _ apologetic  _ cuddling?” She paused, staring down at the papers in her hands. Slowly, she placed down on the desk near the bed. Then, Robyn sighed. “I’m not in charge of you, Chrom.”

“I didn’t mean to hurt you. We’re not… We’re not a couple.”

“Okay… Would  _ you  _ have felt offended if I cuddled in the nude with, say, Lon’qu? Gaius? Hell, what if I did it with Vaike?” She made a face to herself. Robyn nodded a little at Olivia. “I hope  _ we  _ can still be friends though.”

“I’m sorry,” Olivia repeated, broken.

Chrom stared at her. “Please, Robyn, let me explain.”

“When a mommy and a daddy love each other very much,” Robyn began. She sniffed before turning on her heel and storming off. The two of them laid in bed a few more seconds, unable to stop the horror written across their features. 

Then, softly, Chrom glanced at her. “Did we use… Use protection?”

Olivia’s soft, muffled moan was all the answer he needed.

-

Robyn did what she did best. Repress the hell out of those feelings and work on what actually mattered. No matter how much Chrom hurt her feelings, she had a bigger responsibility to handle. She needed to make sure they could finally win the war against Gangrel and put her country back in the hands of someone it deserved. Who that would be was beyond her. Maybe she’d return home to help.

It was obvious she had nothing here in Ylisse.

“My brother’s an idiot.”

Robyn barely glanced up from her work. The spies couldn’t be trusted considering they threw everything they had in that battle only to realize Gangrel wasn’t even on the field. “Idiot almost seems too kind.”

“Moron?” suggested Lissa. She awkwardly pulled at the sleeves of her new sage outfit. They both knew she absolutely hated having to fight on the field. While Lissa could wield a tome, she wanted to use her staff more than anything else. She didn’t want to be in the depth of battle.

She paused and chewed on her bottom lip. Then, she made her choice. “Dumbass. He’s a dumbass.”

“I like dumbass,” Lissa said brightly. The younger royal bounced up and sat down upon the desk, swinging her legs almost obnoxiously. Robyn couldn’t help her annoyed sigh, but the smile still danced across her face. No matter the issue with Chrom, she’d consider Lissa her younger sister. She’d want to protect Lissa more than many of the people of the field. She was too young to face all of these hardships.

Then again, Lissa already appeared to endure a million hardships. She aged greatly from when she first met them, begging for sanctuary at the capital. Emmeryn was reluctant to accept it, but Chrom swiftly recruited her to the Shepherds to guarantee her a home… Robyn tried to ignore the sour taste in her mouth. She supposed her whole existence here depended on the Exalt. 

The blonde leaned down, flicking her in the forehead. “Whatcha thinking about?”

“Your dumbass brother and the Mad King. Think we’ll ever get him on the ropes? Every step forward we take, he pretty much just… Cuts off our foot.” She shrugged ever so slightly before tracing a finger on the line of the map. She could send the pegasus knights over there, but she knew it posed a real danger. She couldn’t be sure they wouldn’t position archers there… If she was in charge of the tactics for the army, she definitely  _ would.  _ It was, after all, the easiest path for fliers to take. 

Lissa peeked at it before groaning. “Do we have to cross mountains again?”

“It’s a lot less of a mountain range this time around. It’s, like, dinky.” It wasn’t really dinky, but she had no intention of telling her that. Lissa didn’t like the various climate changes, and she rarely managed to take it well. She shivered in Regna Ferox and sweated in Plegia. Ylisse, after all, was  _ tame  _ in comparison to its neighbors.

She pouted. “I don’t believe you.”

“And that’s probably wise.” Robyn smiled. “I wouldn’t trust me either.”

After a few seconds, she cleared her throat. “Are you trying to set me up with Gaius? Because I’ve noticed I’m paired with him an  _ awful  _ lot. It’s not that I’m complaining, I really like him, but… That’s what you do, right? You make sure we all fall in love and make happy couples, and that’s why I’m always with Gaius.”

“You caught me. You mad?” Robyn knew she wouldn’t be upset, though. She never did it without any prompting. A few weeks back, as Gaius and Robyn both sat in the medic tent to heal up after a fight, he talked about how he admired Lissa. Of course, he did it flippantly and it could almost be construed as an insult… But that really is Gaius. It was how he always talked about anything. 

She shook her head. “I  _ like  _ him. Chrom, uh, doesn’t, but Chrom is a dumbass!”

“You’ve really embraced that, haven’t you?” She smiled at her.

The younger girl shrugged. “He really is. He kept telling me that Gaius isn’t that…  _ Noble,  _ I guess. That’s not how he phrased it. I think he’s just upset he was part of the assassination team, but we all make bad decisions! And he didn’t have any intention of actually  _ killing  _ her! He just needed some money.”

“You don’t need to defend Gaius to me.” Robyn knew exactly who Lissa needed to defend Gaius to. In some ways, though, it was perfectly rehearsed. Lissa planned on telling Chrom that, eventually.

The urgency hadn’t made sense though. Robyn leaned in. “Did he propose?”

“Kinda. He told me yesterday that, if we were to win the war, he wanted to be with me… Forever.” Lissa let out a long, dreamy sigh. Suddenly, she paused and glanced at Robyn out of the corner of her eye. “Then, we lost.”

“Then, we lost,” Robyn repeated. “But next time? Next time, we’re going to win.”

“I thought you said the Mad King was cutting off our foot?”

“I have an idea. It’s an insane idea. It’s absolutely  _ wild,  _ and in some ways, it’s almost cruel to you…” The idea bubbled the longer she kept speaking. In some ways, it wrapped its claws around her heart and made it sink in her chest. She could have been the one involved in this… Well, no. She never could have been involved. Nobody would have ever accepted it on paper. She’d always be pining from afar.

Lissa nodded. “What?”

“The Mad King is a lot of things… Including vain. He doesn’t like the idea of us going on with life while he’s still around, right? That’s why he’s attacked on all the major holidays.  _ He  _ has attacked. Not some troop.”

A spark lit up in Lissa’s eyes. “Oh! I get it! But… But there isn’t any major celebration coming up!”

“There will be.” Robyn grabbed Lissa’s hand and turned it. “Are you ready to wear a ring? Because I don’t think Chrom is ready to settle down, and a royal wedding would gain a  _ lot  _ of traction.”

“Oh, Naga…” she breathed out. The princess stared down at her head for a few seconds, and her eyes seemed to gloss over as she thought about the future. Slowly, steadily, a smile began to spread on her lips. “Be one of my bridesmaids? Maribelle would kill me if she wasn’t the maid of honor.”

“Wish granted.” She paused. “I suppose I have to go tell Chrom what we decided.”

“That my wedding is going to be the last strike against the Mad King? It’ll go  _ great.”  _ Lissa giggled. 

-

Olivia carefully tied the silks about her arms and ankles. Her whole body felt foreign in so many ways. It, in equal measures, revolted and celebrated Chrom’s touch. That morning, she woke up before Chrom. She had several moments to come to terms. Instead, Olivia just stared upon his sleeping features. He looked…  _ Young, naive.  _ She could have met him at a bar, and she would have been drawn to him like a moth to a light. 

Of course, it’s more complicated than the simple equation of  _ guy-in-bar.  _ This man was the Exalt of Ylisse. He led a whole country. Beyond that, he had already made his connections within the army. No matter what he had told her previously, he clearly loved Robyn with the whole of his heart. Would there be room for her?

Would she  _ want  _ there to be room for her?

“I never understood people who danced alone before I saw you.”

Olivia’s head snapped up, and she met Robyn’s calculated gaze. “W-what?”

“Don’t get me wrong. You look beautiful dancing. But, growing up, the only way I’d dance is if I had a partner. Even then, I was reluctant. Dancing isn’t my thing, y’know? But looking at you makes me kinda regret that.” Robyn then shook her head as if trying to clear the wistfulness off her features. “Then again, you’d be out a tactician if I hadn’t done that. So, you win some, you lose some.”

“Do you want to dance with me?” Olivia offered after a few seconds.

Robyn raised an eyebrow. “Would it make you feel more comfortable? Because I have to talk to you, and I want it to be on your terms.”

“I… Maybe later. Is it about…” Olivia hesitated, and she felt the furious blush mounting in her cheeks once again. One day, she’d be able to think about this without going red. “About Chrom?”

“Who else?” Robyn sat on the ground beside Olivia. 

She ducked her head. “I know,  _ I know,  _ it wasn’t fair for us to do that. I know you love him, and I know he loves you, and-”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” She threw out her hands. “I never said  _ anything  _ like that. Sure, we hold hands and shit, but we never said we loved each other. People who love Chrom? Sumia, Cordelia… If you ride a pegasus, you’ll fall in love with Chrom. It’s practically a guarantee, you know?”

“You really like him though,” Olivia insisted, almost stubbornly.

Robyn’s face twisted slightly. “Does that matter? Nah. Anyway, I have a plan… It’s really strange, but I figured it’s our best bet. But Chrom is going to object to it venomously, and I think I know him well enough to know what he’ll suggest. I need to know if you’re down with what he’ll say.”

“Before he says it?” She cocked her head.

The tactician nodded. “Gangrel hates us going on with life when we’re at war with him. He takes it as a personal insult. If we had a holiday, he’s attacked us each and every time. There aren’t any Ylissean holidays coming up though… So I’m going to make one. What’s going to lure out a decent crowd?”

“What?”

“A royal wedding. Sure, it’ll be exclusive. I don’t want civilians hurt. But there’s a lot of us Shepherds here.” Robyn smiled up at the sky for a few seconds, and Olivia could feel the sadness washing off her in waves. 

Olivia cleared her throat. “A r-royal wedding?”

“Yep. Between Lissa and Gaius.” Robyn laughed the second Olivia let out a relieved breath. “Don’t relax too soon. Chrom won’t like this idea, so… So I think he might propose to you. That way, he’ll be in the line of fire rather than his little sister. Well, that, and she won’t marry someone he disapproves of.”

“No,” she blurted immediately. She buried her head in her hands, red starting to spot her cheeks. “No, no, no. We can’t get married yet.”

“I figured as much, but it’s my responsibility to plan for everything.” The tactician started to get to her feet. “Then again, I doubt Chrom will ever settle down enough to marry one of us…  _ Not that he’d marry me.” _

“You want him to.” Olivia stared at Robyn with wide eyes.

The white-haired woman crossed her arms. “In a fantasy? Sure. In reality? There’s a lot of reasons why that shouldn’t work.”

“Love isn’t supposed to be reasonable.” Slowly, she got to her feet and gently grabbed Robyn’s hands. Entwining their fingers, Olivia glanced down to see the gold and silver from her bracelets reflected on their dark skin. When she looked back up, she caught Robyn’s stunned smile. 

Robyn followed the curve of her arm to her face. Then, she averted her gaze. “I’m pretty sure it has to be if you want to get married to him.”

“You could still marry him…” Some unfound courage surfaced. She leaned closer, chasing Robyn’s gaze until she stared at her. “Who said it had to be one of us?”

The other woman hiccuped out a laugh, so close to a sob Olivia could barely tell the difference. However, this time, she was willing to look at her. “I think the kingdom doesn’t want Chrom to marry  _ two  _ people… I doubt they want to marry two people not hailing from Ylisse. The best choice would be Maribelle.”

“They want an exalt willing to choose a good queen based on love as well as intelligence. You’re the best choice. He knows you best,” Olivia said softly. 

Robyn glanced down, pointedly, at Olivia’s stomach. “If you guys did what I thought you did, you’ve became the better choice.”

“Robyn… He wants you, and I… I want you too.” Slowly, Olivia leaned forward and waited for Robyn to pull back. She didn’t. 

Olivia placed a feather-light kiss before she backed up, her boldness disappearing into thin air. “I… I g-gotta go.”

-

The second Chrom heard Robyn’s  _ grand plan,  _ he couldn’t help his anger. He swore furiously and then looked around for something to throw. “Olivia, you can’t be serious.”

The dancer looked steadfastly at the ground, her courage completely sapped. She stared down at the tips of her shoes as if they held all the answers to the world. Then again, maybe to her, they did. 

“Lissa is a  _ child.  _ She’s too young to get married!” Chrom wasn’t surprised Lissa agreed to it, but Robyn should have known better than to ask. Lissa always loved the notion of love. Did she genuinely love Gaius? How could he tell? He just knew she wanted a fairy tale unfolding in her life, and at the moment, the young princess didn’t have anything of the sort. He wanted to trust her, but what made her happy now wouldn’t make her happy in the long run. He was  _ sure  _ of it. 

“Gaius is only 19,” Olivia ventured.

Chrom whirled around. “And Lissa just turned  _ 17\.  _ She can hardly be considered a woman! She’s still a little kid, and she  _ can’t.” _

“Chrom-”

His mind was working fast. When he finally spoke, the words fell upon his tongue, and he blurted them out almost too easily. “We could get married.”

“I just met you…” Olivia shuffled her feet. “Chrom-”

“Gods, how am I supposed to do this?” Chrom wondered. “Just… Just  _ give away  _ my little sister? Pray that Gaius makes her happy, and pray that Gangrel won’t lay a hand on her even though she will  _ literally  _ be bait? How can I sit back and watch that unfold?”

“With us by your side.”

Both of them whipped to look at the opening of the tent. There was Robyn, standing where she stood when everything tore apart just a week ago. She had up her shields in a way he never witnessed before. She had her Plegian coat completely buttoned up, covering her usual tank top and loose pants. 

Olivia gasped lightly. “Does that mean…?”

“All or nothing, right?” She smiled slightly. “I’m here if you’ll both have me. And together, Lissa will be protected by the best elite force Naga has ever seen.”

**Author's Note:**

> I really really hope you enjoyed this! I think I may make it a larger story with each of my PERSONAL ships from Fire Emblem Awakening getting their own story, and then it'll branch off into the future kings after Robyn submits to Grima. The next one is PROBABLY Lissa and Gaius, but I might throw someone between these three and Lissa and Gaius tbh.


End file.
